Fill heavily soiled pots with warm water and dish soap and let them soak. Soaking can make dried food and grease much easier to remove.
While those pots are soaking, wash the easiest dishes first.
This gives you an immediate feeling of progress.
Once the dishes are under control, move to the countertops.
Remove everything that doesn’t belong there. Put food away, return utensils to drawers, and place miscellaneous objects in a temporary basket until you have time to organize them properly.
Then wipe the surfaces with a cleaner appropriate for the material.
The stove usually deserves special attention because cooking grease can accumulate quickly.
Make sure the stove is turned off and completely cool before cleaning it. Use an appropriate kitchen degreaser and follow the product directions.
Don’t mix different cleaning chemicals in an attempt to make a stronger cleaner. Some combinations can release dangerous fumes.
After the counters and stove are clean, clean the sink.
